Vehicles, in particular passenger cars or cargo trucks for road traffic, are increasingly equipped with driver assistance systems that allow for the vehicle to be driven in road traffic partially or even fully automatically. Under certain conditions, such driver assistance systems are able to control both the lateral guidance as well as the longitudinal guidance of the vehicle autonomously. If an automatic guidance of the vehicle is possible with the aid of the driver assistance system, a driver of the vehicle does not have to monitor this automatic guidance permanently, but is able to hand over the guidance of the vehicle to a so-called autopilot function of the driver assistance system at a desired point in time and later take back the responsibility for driving. When the guidance of the vehicle is taken over by the autopilot function, the driver is able to devote himself at least partially to other activities. When the autopilot function recognizes that a route section is coming up along which the autopilot function is not able to control the vehicle automatically, or when the autopilot function recognizes a driving situation or situation in the surroundings, in which the autopilot function is not able to guide the vehicle automatically, the driver assistance system asks the driver to take over the guidance of the vehicle.
In this context, German Patent Application Publication No. DE 19 743 024 describes a motor vehicle having the means for temporary autonomous vehicle guidance and for the communication of a vehicle user with at least one electronic communication system. An operating device is provided by which it is possible to activate the communication means for the purpose of carrying out a communication process and to activate the vehicle guidance means for the purpose of autonomous vehicle guidance. When recognizing that a manual vehicle guidance is becoming necessary, the activated vehicle guidance means communicates takeover information to the communication means, which indicates this takeover information on a display device.
German Patent Application Publication No. DE 10 2007 039 375 relates to a motor vehicle comprising a longitudinally guiding driver assistance system having a stop-and-go function with a detection device for detecting information concerning a preceding vehicle. Using the driver assistance system, it is possible to brake the motor vehicle automatically to a standstill as a function of the information ascertained by the detection device, and to start up the motor vehicle again automatically as a function of an activation signal provided by the driver via an input device when a renewed startup of the preceding vehicle is detected.